Ivo
by DrMechano
Summary: Who was Ivo Robotnik before becoming the villainous Dr. Eggman? This story aims to show his early years before turning to villainy.
1. The Story Begins

**Ivo**

Chapter 1 - "The Story Begins."

_________________________

"Come _on, _Grandpa! I want to visit your new space colony!"

Professor Gerald Robotnik smiled at his grandson's enthusiasm- At the young age of ten, young Ivo was already following in his footsteps, a child prodigy with an IQ off the charts. Yet despite his studious nature, he _was_ still a kid- He was practically beaming with excitement at the prospect of going into space, his grey eyes widened with anticipation beneath his blue pince-nez glasses as his full head of reddish-brown hair waved slightly in the wind. He wore an oversized lab coat, hoping to perhaps emulate his grandfather, the man he looked up to and idolized over anyone else.

"Ho ho ho… Well, first of all, it's not _my_ space colony, Ivo…" Gerald answered modestly, as he always was, "The ARK is a collaborative effort of the planet's greatest scientists, who I'm honored to be working with. Why, I'm merely a single gear in the well-oiled machine that is the scientific community!"

"Pfft. C'mon, you _know_ you're the greatest scientific genius in the entire world." Ivo smirked at his grandfather's humility. It was true, too- The man was _decades_ ahead of his time, and despite downplaying his role, he was responsible for the majority of the ARK's planning. "But still… I wanna go see it! The ARK's the greatest technological advancement of our time! I simply _must_ see it firsthand!" He pointed upward, as if to space itself, striking a dramatic pose as he made his somewhat imperative request.

"I'll see what I can do," Gerald chuckled softly, "But I can't promise anything yet. There's a lot of red tape when it comes to getting access for outside visitors… Still, I _think_ I should be able to get clearance from the higher-ups, at least for you to visit for a little while."

"Excellent! _Aaah ha ha ha ha ha!" _The boy threw up his hands and laughed, overcome by the sheer thrill of finally taking a look at his grandfather's greatest creation. "Thanks, Grandpa! You won't regret this!"

The kindly scientist gently patted his grandson's head, "I know I won't. I'm proud of how far you've come, Ivo. I think seeing the ARK will be a good experience for you… I believe this space colony is going to change the world." He smiled, looking off into the distance, full of optimism at the weight of his statement. Soon, he felt, mankind would enter a new golden age of prosperity… Soon.

_"…SPACE COLONY ARK. ALL AUTHORIZED PARTIES PLEASE BOARD THE SHUTTLE TO SPACE COLONY ARK…"_

Looking up at the loudspeaker, Gerald nodded, "In any case, I need to be heading back there myself. I'll put in a good word for you with the board directors, so that you can come along with me next time, okay?"

"Okay! Thanks, Grandpa, you're the greatest!" Ivo smiled, waving as his hero turned to get on the shuttle and head back to work. Gerald grinned, waving back, as he entered the ship, its door closing behind him. After a few minutes, the ship took off, and soon it was gone. Ivo waited until he could no longer see the shuttle as it rocketed into the distance before turning and leaving the launch site.

Returning home, Ivo was greeted at the door by his faithful companion, a robotic beetle who happily nuzzled up against him as he walked in. "Hey there, Motobug," Ivo grinned, reaching down to pet the awkward little robot, "Did you mow the lawn today as scheduled?"

Motobug happily clanked its sharp scythe-like arms together, wobbling back and forth, as if to nod in affirmation.

"Good job! Stay here- It's time to replace your power source…"

The robot obediently waited as Ivo went to fetch a large golden ring from his room. Opening a hatch on Motobug's shell, he carefully removed a similar ring, which by now was almost dissipated. Quickly, he replaced it with the new one, closing its shell hatch and stepping back, admiring his work. "That should hold you for another week- It's too bad these rings don't last very long, as power sources go. Maybe when I have time, I should experiment with some alternatives…"

Motobug happily spun around on its wheel, grateful for Ivo's regular maintenance.

"Say, are mom and dad home?"

The robot shook from left to right, as if to answer "No."

Ivo wasn't surprised. His parents were good, loving people, but they were _always_ busy. As joint-owners of the prestigious Robotnik Corp., the two were regularly at board meetings, or traveling across the globe to deal with business partners. Ivo's parents had expressed a desire for him to continue the family business himself someday, but soon found that he simply wasn't interested in such a line of work. Ivo's passion was _science, _not business, and in his parents' frequent absence, he found himself spending a lot more time with his grandfather.

Still, Ivo was a responsible kid, and was able to take care of himself when left to his own devices. Motobug, his first fully-automated robot, was originally created to help him with daily tasks around the house. But he soon found he valued its company, and began treating it almost like a pet, as absurd as it seemed to him.

"Grandpa's going to see if I can visit him on the ARK," Ivo smiled.

Motobug tilted to its side, questioningly.

"I'm looking forward to it. I'll get to see his latest, greatest inventions!" He thought for a bit, "I guess I'll get to see Maria again too…"

He only vaguely remembered seeing his cousin when he was much younger, perhaps five or so. She was a bit older than him, around ten at the time, which would logically make her fifteen now. He didn't understand the details, but she'd come down with some sort of debilitating disease, and moved to the ARK where she lived ever since. As such, Ivo didn't know her that well, but still looked forward to seeing her again.

"Still, he won't be back with an answer for a while." It was then that he remembered, "Ah, of course! It completely slipped my mind, but the school science fair is tomorrow!" He hadn't even begun working on his project, instead spending the past week seeing as much of his grandfather as he could during one of his trips back to Earth.

"Ha! No matter- This is nothing Ivo Robotnik can't handle. I'll set to work on an amazing project that'll guarantee a first place victory! Mwa ha ha ha ha ha!"

And so he set to work, maniacally crafting his latest experiment through the night. Tomorrow would be an interesting day, indeed…

To be continued…


	2. With Who's Gonna Win

**Ivo**

Chapter 2 - "With Who's Gonna Win"

______________________________

Ivo brashly strutted into the halls of South Island Elementary, followed by an automated trolley which appeared to be carrying _something, _with its contents concealed by a large tarp. Ivo's project was going to be a _surprise, _and ever the show-off, he wanted to make the unveiling of his latest masterpiece as flashy as possible.

"_Hey, Ivo!"_

Ivo turned in the direction of that familiar voice to see one of his classmates cheerily running up to him, waving. Her light orange hair, pulled into a ponytail, swished from side to side as she approached her friend, smiling brightly at him with her bright, blue eyes.

"Ah! L-Lucinda…" Ivo stammered slightly, nervously adjusting his glasses. He had a slight- and _obvious-_ crush on her, and hoped to impress her with his genius skills, winning her heart in the process. It was, typical of most grade-school crushes, rather awkward and one-sided, but to young Ivo it really _meant_ something. "…How's it going? Ready for the science fair?"

Lucinda grinned, "I think I am. I'm sure it's nothing compared to whatever _you've_ got planned though, like _every_ year. Though Lucas probably has something interesting too…"

_Lucas. _Ivo had to hold himself back from _scoffing_ at the name. Lucas, while truthfully very intelligent in his own right, couldn't hold a candle to _Ivo's_ genius. Yet, to Ivo's confusion and frustration, Lucinda seemed far more attached to him, paying so much more attention to Lucas than himself. And that simply wasn't… logical! _Ivo_ was the super genius, and Lucas was just… a _kind-of_ smart guy!

"Ivo?"

Ivo nodded, answering, "Ah! …Er, yes. I'm sure he has…"

Their conversation was then cut short by the obnoxiously loud ring of the bell, signifying the start of classes for the day.

"Ah! Well, gotta get going- See you at the science fair, Ivo!" Lucinda called out, waving as she left.

Ivo grinned and called back to her, "Heh! Right, I'll see you there!"

And so Ivo went to class, as scheduled, where he would be _bored out of his mind _for the next few hours. Outclassing everyone in the school, Ivo _could_- and was in fact _offered_ the chance to- skip several grades and begin attending college immediately. Yet in the end he declined, choosing to finish his schooling at a normal pace- He would go on to rationalize this decision in a number of ways, but ultimately, it was his infatuation with Lucinda that kept him around.

As the teacher droned on, Ivo's mind wandered. Thoughts of the upcoming competition filled his head, as well as eager anticipation for his trip to the space colony ARK. He idly daydreamed of his future, as a great scientific leader like his grandfather, helping humanity through his intellect and becoming a celebrated hero of the world.

Eventually, he would be snapped back to reality by an announcement over the school's speaker system, _"Attention, students and faculty! We will now begin the South Island Elementary Science Fair! Please report to assembly room number four to present your projects. Good luck, everyone!"_

Finally, Ivo would have a chance to do something _interesting_. He gleefully leaped from his seat and practically _skipped_ to the room as his automated trolley clunkily followed behind.

"Hey there, Ivo!" Lucinda greeted him as he arrived, "Looks like it's almost showtime! I'm kind of excited to see what everyone's got planned!"

Ivo smirked. Who _cared_ about the other projects? He was going to steal _this_ show. But a little faux-humility never hurt anyone. "Yeah, me too. Heh! It's sure to be quite the competition this year."

"_Glad you feel that way, Ivo!"_

"Eh?" Ivo turned around to see _him_ standing there, grinning. "Oh. Hi, Lucas."

Lucas enthusiastically smiled, wearing his usual red and white striped sweater and thick reading glasses that slightly pushed back his short brown hair. He offered a friendly handshake, completely sincere in so doing, and completely unaware of Ivo's feelings of hostility toward him.

Ivo returned the gesture, forcing a smile as he shook his unwitting rival's hand, "Yes, I look forward to seeing your submission this year. Good luck… And may the best entry win."

And so they watched some of the opening entries, which were boringly standard fare. It would be a while before Ivo's turn, and being forced to watch such dull presentations wasn't holding his interest. "If I see _one_ more potato lightbulb or model volcano…"

"Oh, my turn!" Lucinda went up to present.

_That_ caught Ivo's attention at least. Lucinda's project was… _also_ boringly standard fare, resorting to the old potato bulb routine. "And as you can see, making this connection creates an electrical current!" As the bulb activated, Ivo responded with thunderous applause, loudly showing his support for Lucinda's project. Bowing politely, Lucinda ended her presentation and walked back to the audience.

"Great job, Lucinda! I'm impressed!" He gave her a goofy thumbs-up and grinned, as Lucinda smiled back, and as Lucas gave a slightly confused look at Ivo's sudden appreciation for the very subject matter that so previously bored him.

"Well, looks like I'm up," Lucas stood and approached the stage.

He held out a strange device, which looked to be thrown together with various metal rods and wires. "Rings are made of a very specific combination of minerals, and as such, what I'm presenting is a fully-functional Ring Detector! Whereas previous detectors signaled for _any_ type of metal, this device should specifically pick up the signals of rings' elemental structure. Observe, please…"

Walking over to a box nearby, Lucas pulled out several rings. A short distance away, his detector began to beep faintly, emitting astonished looks from the audience. He walked over to the detector, and approached the rings with it, causing it to beep louder and at a greater frequency. Finally reaching the rings, the detector sounded off a continuous tone, indicating a ring in the direct vicinity. "Such a device will hopefully be useful for ring mining. And this concludes my project."

Lucas bowed, stepping down, as the audience applauded his work. Ivo grinned as he politely clapped. _That_ was it? His invention would have no problem outranking _that_ amateur piece of machinery. Yes, soon he would get the glory he so richly deserved!

"Alright! Now it's _my_ turn!" Ivo approached the stage as his mysterious project followed. "If I could make a small request, I'd like to demonstrate my presentation _outside. _It's rather vital to have adequate space."

This condition was soon granted, as Ivo, his classmates, and the teachers acting as judges followed him into the front of the building. It was then that Ivo was finally ready to reveal his mysterious invention.

Removing the tarp covering his automated trolley, Ivo revealed a bizarre contraption that resembled a small spaceship from some sort of science fiction movie. It was a grey, ovular machine with a large headlight in front, adorned with black and yellow caution tape on the sides. A large windshield covered the upper half of the vehicle, which Ivo popped open, preparing to start it up.

"Ha ha ha! Behold! What you see before you is a personal flying machine, with far greater efficiency and mobility than any plane or helicopter. Designed for quick and easy air travel, this machine- which I've dubbed the "Eggmobile" after its round shape- is nothing short of extraordinary! Observe!"

Hopping into the Eggmobile, Ivo closed the thick windshield, and after a few seconds, began to slowly lift off the ground. "As you can see…" He continued speaking, his voice amplified through a loudspeaker, "The Eggmobile does not need space to take off. It's capable of lifting off from any sort of terrain without issue!"

His onlookers gasped at the sight. Truly this _was_ astounding, watching this strange machine hovering before them, slowly moving through the air.

"Of course, flight alone isn't _all_ this can do. Watch as I show you the Eggmobile's special feature!" The craft descended slowly, seeming to land on the carrying trolley that brought it out in the first place, as connectors descended from it and contacted with the bulky device. "Now, _watch!"_

The trolley was now under the Eggmobile's control, as it drove around the schoolyard, piloted by Ivo through his ship. "In addition to flight, this marvelous machine is capable of connecting to- and overriding- other machines! The potential for this, as a result, is limitless!"

The windshield slid open, and Ivo hopped out, smiling confidently. "And _that, _ladies and gentlemen, concludes my presentation."

Then came Ivo's favorite part of these events- The praise. Everyone was in awe of his latest accomplishment, cheering him on and curiously observing.

"Wow, Ivo, that was really something," Lucas said as he approached. "I've gotta say, I'm amazed."

Ivo smirked proudly, "Ha ha! But the winner hasn't been announced _yet,_ of course… So don't count yourself out." Not that it mattered. He _knew_ he was going to win this contest.

Lucinda nodded, "Both of you did a fantastic job! By the way, Lucas, how did you get your ring machine to work, anyway?"

Lucas began explaining, "Well, you see…"

_Wait. _She wanted to hear about _his_ invention? But… the Eggmobile. It was so much _better!_

"…_And the winner is… Ivo Robotnik!"_

But no time for that. Onto the award! "Aha!"

Ivo ran up to accept his trophy for winning the event, greeted with _more _applause in celebration of his victory. "Oh, come on, I wasn't _that_ amazing. _Haaa ha ha ha ha!"_

Looking back down at the audience, he noticed something though. Lucinda's attention was still diverted, as she was listening intently to Lucas explain how his machine worked. But… This was _Ivo's _moment! As the two walked off together, Ivo was left holding the trophy and answering questions, but ultimately it felt like a hollow victory.

Later that day, he finally returned home, setting his latest award on a shelf devoted to his accomplishments. Motobug slowly approached, giving him a questioning look.

"Oh, hey." Ivo laughed softly, "Well, it looks like I won. By all standards, I'm a scientific genius all right… Mathematics, biology, chemistry, and especially robotics are a piece of cake! But romance, _ha! _Now _there's_ something I doubt I'll _ever_ fully understand…"

Motobug didn't quite understand what Ivo meant, but could tell he was upset, and tried to cheer him up by happily spinning about, clapping its makeshift arms.

Ivo couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, "It's fine, Motobug. A true scientist doesn't let a setback discourage them- I still have the ARK visit to look forward to, after all, and tomorrow _is_ another day. Yes!"

Ivo laughed maddeningly, as his cheerful mood started to return, "I think I should give the Eggmobile some fine-tuning. It _is_ just a prototype right now, after all… _To the lab!_ Ha ha ha ha ha!"

And off he went, running back to his _first_ love- Science! A few hours of inventing would take his mind off of the day's events. And so another day in the life of Ivo Robotnik drew to a close, as soon enough, more exciting adventures awaited.

_**To be continued…**_


End file.
